• National team director ‘worked in shadows to throw me out’
• Argentinian FA declined to renew Maradona’s contract

Diego Maradona, looking close to tears, accused the national team director Carlos Bilardo of betrayal following his departure as the coach of Argentina.

Speaking the day after the Argentina Football Association declined to renew his contract, Maradona said Bilardo worked in the shadows to get rid of him. Bilardo was the national coach and Maradona the star player when Argentina won the World Cup in 1986.

Maradona said the AFA president, Julio Grondona, asked him in Monday’s meeting to continue, but without seven of his assistants. Maradona said he could not meet those conditions.

“They called me to put out a fire, and we put it out,” Maradona said. “Grondona lied to me. Bilardo betrayed me. While we were still in mourning [the loss to Germany], Bilardo worked in the shadows to throw me out.”

Maradona read from a prepared script for about 10 minutes in a restaurant in the Buenos Aires suburb of Ezeiza. In a room packed with reporters and family members, including his two daughters, he took no questions.

The 49-year-old suggested that the 21 months he spent as coach were not enough and said this was the fifth successive Argentina team that had failed to get past the World Cup quarter-finals. Argentina were beaten 4-0 by Germany in the last eight in South Africa.

“My technical team and I were prepared to keep going,” Maradona said. “Grondona, in the changing room in South Africa, said in front of witnesses that he was very happy with my work and wanted me to continue. But back in Argentina things started to change.”

Maradona was hired by Grondona despite having little coaching experience and some thought he was out-coached in the quarter-finals by the Germany coach, Joachim Löw.

“I’ve given everything, everything,” Maradona said, ending his speech. “I am convinced that Argentinian football needs to be in a better position. I have tried to transmit the pride that I feel, being Argentinian.”